The federal government has taken over the 12,000 hectares of land from the Jiwa Community in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for the construction of second runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
This follows the payment of N825.8million as compensation to the people of the community to enable the contractors move to site for the construction of 4.2km runway.
Speaking at the official handing over of the site to the federal government as well as the contractor China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo commended the people of the community.
He noted that the country has been looking forward to the constitution of the second runway for the past two decade since the administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo and successive administration has never been able to put it into reality.
The Minister stated that aside that a second runway will further open more opportunities for both the community and Nigeria as well as bigger aircraft will be able to land, more commercial activities around the area.
He said “For those that have lost farms, houses, and other means of livelihoods, I can assure you that you will gain more by the time the project come to fruition.”
‘For the contractors I want to tell you that youths in this communities are able bodies I would like to hear that workers, artisans, labourers are been brought from other place to work with them, youths in the community must be considered first’
“If you don’t take them I will join them to protest, I will lead the protest against you, our eyes are on you, consider the sons and daughters of this community in your work,” he stated.
While reacting, the Emir of Jiwa, HRM Alh Idris Yinusa said the compensation paid to them is notting compared to what they have lost but there is notting they can do as public interest override personal interest.
He said “My farm also affected,despite how big the farm way , meagre compensation was paid to me. I want to use this medium to say sorry to you and urge you to exercise patience, if there is anything to do about it we could have done it.
He however appealed to the National Assembly to increase the amount of money paid as compensation to indigenes,
“If they don’t charge what is been paid many people will die, the money given to us is not okay for feeding not to talk of training our children,” he stated.
One person for instance could have 30 children and getting about N1million as compensation, he may end up sharing it at N200 to N10,000 and there is notting we can but the house of assembly need to revise the current module of payment.
The Emir called on CCECC to ensure that they prioritize their people when giving people work, because I would not like when our people start protesting we have many unemployed youths, so the contractor don’t need to look else where
“We know the Aviation University is still coming up many work will be there . So wish the people with cooperate and work with the government so that we can achieve much,” he stated
